[TenTec] Audio improvements on Argonaut VI

[Rick at dj0ip.de]

GM Reed,

Your evaluation is correct, but...
Still, I maintain that every comparison is fair.

If one rig costs $10K and the other costs only $800, it's interesting to me to know what all I get for the extra $9.2K.
Then I can evaluate my options and make a decision based on my personal needs.
And this decision, though perhaps right for me, doesn't mean it's right for everyone else.

As for the noise of a true mechanical VFO vs. the digital;  it's fair to point that out, but then one must ask the fair question, "so what?"
Do these week pulsing noises really disturb the radio's ability to pull in the weak signals?

If not, then it really doesn't matter, as long as there is some other benefit from a digital VFO . . . which of course there is, or rather "are", because there are lots of benefits to most of us.  And BTW, when tuning for weak signals (DX) we tune very slowly and then we don't hear these pulsing noises, anyway!

On the other hand, if these benefits don't matter to someone, then that's their personal interpretation and they may very well choose the mechanical VFO over the digital VFO.   

Without making the comparison, we would not know the differences and not be able to make our own personal decisions based on our own discrete needs.
But we must make the decisions when consideration information in its full context, not just short data bursts.
My problem is when people take single points out of context and then make a big deal out of them!

EXAMPLE:  "It's raining today."
> Mary is disappointed, says that's bad because she wanted to go to the beach.
> John is happy, says that's good because he's a farmer and his crops urgently need the rain.
Without knowing the context, we have no idea whether the rainy day is good or bad, or if it even matters.
It's raining today somewhere out over the mid-Atlantic.  So what?  What does that matter to me?

Like I said, if we only had some sunspots, we would have better things to talk about! (hi)

73,
Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec <tentec-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Reed
Sent: 21 August 2018 07:46
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: [TenTec] Audio improvements on Argonaut VI

Rick, the Corsair II has a mechanical VFO where the Argonaut VI does not.  Not a fair comparison, in my opinion,  as to which is quieter.  I hear those very weak pulsing noises as I turn the encoder on several digital rigs I own with no antenna connected & headphones on.  That being said, the Argonaut VI VFO is rock solid when first turned on.  I bet the Corsair is not.  I also bet the Corsair couldn't work FT8!

I don't know if there is a perfect rig!  At least not under $1500 which I paid close to for a fully loaded KX3 in 2012.  And nope the KX3 is not perfect! NB is useless on electrical noise as is the Argonaut VI.  36 year old Argosy kills it without degrading receiver, but old analog rig doesn't do everything else better.

73,

Reed  W4JZ



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